The South Asian countries (Afghanistan; Bangladesh; Bhutan; India; Iran; Maldives;
Nepal; Pakistan; Sri Lanka) are home to about one-fourth of the world's population,
but only contain about 4.5 per cent (1,945 billion m3) of the world's annual renewable
water resources (43,659 billion m3). Except for Bhutan and Nepal, the per capita
water availability in the region is less than the world average, with water use in this
region being limited mainly to the agriculture sector. Almost 95 per cent of the
withdrawn water is consumed by the agriculture sector, a much larger proportion than
the average global agricultural water use (70 per cent). In contrast, the region
generally exhibits very limited water use in the industrial and domestic sectors. The
percentage of the population with sustainable access to improved sanitation facilities
in South Asia is 39 per cent (compared to the world average of 59 per cent). The
water productivity - in terms of GDP per unit of water use - also is low (US$ 1.4.m-3),
compared to the average of US$ 23.8.m-3 for the world's top five food producers
(Brazil; China; France; Mexico; USA).